Nope caveman, I have not opened it up, although there are no rattles or shimmies when shaken. I'm reluctant to open it, for fear I'll only do more harm than good lol
revvin, thanks, I'll post there. I've had CH since 1995 AW / AOL, and never had a prob with them, so I know it's not in the construction, and I've dropped these things before over the years, which is all the more puzzling to me.
for the feedback, fellas, when I find the cause, I'll let you know.